Clarissa Spark
Clarissa Spark-Helmstark (Japanese: 星 火花 Hoshi Hibana-Herumusutāku) is a Pokémon Trainer who travels around with her three friends, Katrina Brooks, Mason Artemis, and Jax Darksoul. As of Sparks: Eternal Faith, she is the Viridian City Gym Leader. Clarissa's special skill is her ability to stay strong and battle to the end. As such, she is called the "Warrior" or the "Master" as Giovanni describes her. History Background Clarissa was born on Shamouti Island in the Orange Archipelagos to Benji Helmstark and Leslie Cane. Leslie, whom had an affair with Benji, did not want her husband figuring out. Leslie left Clarissa with Benji and she grew up with him. Around the age of 5, a trainer named Ash Ketchum and his companions saved Shamouti Island from destruction of the Three Legendary Birds with the help from Lugia. This amazed Clarissa and made her even more ambition to be an amazing trainer when she was old enough. Sparks: Indigo League Clarissa started out her journey and chose Charmander as her starter Pokémon. Sparks: Adventures in The Orange Islands Clarissa continued to journey, this time in her home region, and was very determined to collect the island badges. She later concludes her search on who her birth mother is, the woman in Pallet Town who yelled at her for going on a journey. Sparks: Gold & Silver During her journey in Johto she found out her half brother was actually a high ranking officer of Team Rocket. She begins to wonder if he did this out of love or not. In the end she decides that suppressing her Aura was not out of love, but control and breaks the locket. During this time she met trainer Jax Darksoul, who in turn became her rival. At first their rivalry was anything but friendly but eventually it turned into a friendship. Sparks: Ruby & Sapphire TBA Sparks: Battle Frontier Clarissa returns to Kanto after her adventures in Hoenn. However when she returns to Pallet, she can't shake the feeling that she is a stranger there and before she can catch her boat, Clarissa is once again faced with Team Rocket. Realizing that the team is still a threat and her promise to Mr. Fugi, Clarissa decides to eliminate them once and for all. Professor Oak hears about what happens and suggests that Clarissa could challenge the Battle Frontier as well. Sparks: Diamond & Pearl Clarissa journeys to Sinnoh with her friends and goes through some hardships. Because of Team Galactic's hunt for Aura Guardians, she became a main target. Sparks: Black & White TBA Sparks: XYZ TBA Sparks: Quest for Salvation TBA Sparks: XYZ (cont.) Clarissa continued her journey after being restored. She battled Wulfric for the Iceberg Badge. During The Kalos Conference she was defeated by Jax and placed in The Top 8. Sparks: Sun & Moon Clarissa arrived in Alola with Charizard. Sparks: Eternal Faith In Eternal Faith, Clarissa has matured greatly and has devoted much of her time to training her Pokémon and revealed she became The Viridian City Gym Leader. Sparks: The Next Generation TBA In The Manga In the manga, Clarissa is shown to be different than her anime counterpart. Here she nicknames all her Pokémon and bases it off their species name. Some examples of this are Charizard being named "Zard" and Samurott being named "Sam". However she does name them based off other things like how Zoroark is named "Mirage". Personality Around the age of 10, Clarissa was displayed at hyper, ignorant, and snarky. She is shown to have a hard time admitting when she is wrong and having romantic feelings for anyone. Around the time she was in Johto, Clarissa's personality changed drastically, beginning to see that she has to be more mature if she ever wants to gain the respect of others. She started to become a lot more serious about training but was still fairly silly at times. Over time Clarissa has matured quite a lot and became more selfless, willing to sacrifice herself for the well-being of others. This has been seen on multiple occasions but most notably when she allowed herself to be petrified to save Kalos from Yveltal, knowing she may not have been able to be reverted back to her human state. However despite her maturity, Clarissa can be still be self-centered and narcissistic. She cares about what other think even though she acts as if she doesn't. While strong in battle and being the daughter of a Professor, Clarissa is not the sharpest tool in the shed and suffers from dyslexia. Her issues are shown on multiple occasions such as when she struggled to read the sign in front of the Pewter Gym, used a Pokémon potions on herself, and failed at a basic math equation. While this is a struggle of her's, she generally relies on Mason to do the hard thinking. However this problem became very apparent during her test to become the Viridian City gym leader. She barely passed the written test the second time much to the dismay of Nurse Joy. By the time she is 19 and a gym leader, Clarissa is shown to be more intellectual with the help of Nurse Joy. Still she tends to mess up on little things and insists that using potions on herself a okay. It is frequently shown that Clarissa has a gambling addiction. It started when the trio first went to Celadon City when she discovered the slot machines. Excited by the win and thrill she almost missed her gym match after spending all night there and fell asleep during her match. This addiction was shown again at the Goldenrod Corner, Mauville Game Corner, and Veilstone Game Corner. In Hoenn she has was exposed to Coffee, which would become her newest addiction. From there she can almost never start a day without a cup. She carries around her special mug which says, "World's Okayest Trainer", gifted to her by Mason. Though Clarissa is as romantic as a brick she can posses romantic feelings for others. Her notable love interest is Jax. In Johto she was taken aback by her rival's good looks and charm but he failed to notice. Jax was later informed about her feelings in Sparks: XYZ, much to his surprise. Although she had gotten over her feelings long ago, they rose again after being restored. In Sparks: Sun & Moon, Jax has confronted Clarissa about her PTSD after she snapped at him. He told she doesn't have to act so strong around him, in which she hugged him in response. This is also a milestone in the duo's relationship. Clarissa also shows signs of PTSD after being tortured by Team Galactic. Shortly after being reunited with Katrina and Mason, Clarissa was unable to sleep after having nightmares of her torture. She couldn't concentrate during battles, startled easily, had angry outbursts, pondered if Katrina and Mason were really just Team Galactic, and reliving the event over and over again. She has yet to see treatment for her issue but the symptoms have become less frequent over time, though she still experiences them. After talking about it with Jax, the only person she has confined in about it, she seems to be more at peace with herself. In Sun & Moon Clarissa was much calmer and cheerier. Katrina thinks it due to Alola being tropical, reminding Clarissa of her home region, Orange Archipelago-Kanto. Appearance Overall Clarissa is a Caucasian female who stands at 5'4 ft (1.6 meters). She has brown hair, thick eyebrows, and golden eyes. She wears a gold and leather bracelet on both arms that she received before going on her Pokémon journey. Many of her outfits after her time in Johto bear her emblem, a gold star with two swords. Indigo League Clarissa wears an orange sweatshirt with a light orange shirt under. She also wears blue shorts and cowboy boots. Her hair is just below her shoulders and it would remain so up until Alola. Orange Islands, Gold & Silver Due to Lucario cutting her clothes, Clarissa no longer wears a hoodie and simply an orange shirt like the one she wore in Kanto, light gray shorts. She still wears her cowboy boots. Unlike her previous outfits, her hair is up in a messy bun with a bandana being tied around her head. Ruby & Sapphire, Battle Frontier Clarissa now wears a striped orange and white low sleeve shirt and denim shorts. Clarissa wears a pair of high tops along with it. In addition to her now outfit, she now has an emblem that is featured on her bag and her boots. Unlike her previous outfits, her hair is up in a messy bun with a bandana being tied around her head. Diamond & Pearl Clarissa wears a long brownish-gray sweater, an oatmeal colored shirt, a black belt, and navy pants. She again wears her high tops. Her emblem is featured on her bag and her boots. When in the colder areas of Sinnoh (i.e. Route 217, Snowpoint, and Mt. Coronet) she has jeans and a thick white sweater. She does not wear her cowboy boots and instead wears snow boots. Black & White Clarissa wears a white top with a flannel shirt on top, jean shorts, and cowboy boots. Much like in Sinnoh when she encountered colder areas, she wears the same sweater and jeans from before with snow boots. The snow boots feature her emblem. XYZ Clarissa wears a white shirt with a jacket and dark pants. Her emblem remains, similar to her Unova outfit it is on the back of her jacket. As shown in both Sinnoh and Unova, when she encountered colder areas, Clarissa wears the same sweater and jeans with snow boots. Alola Clarissa wears loose yellow shirt with sunflowers on it. Unlike the past, her hair is much longer. Eternal Faith Clarissa wears the a long white tailcoat with gold accents and a tight cop top under it. The back of her jacket features her emblem. Clarissa also wears jeans with a brown and gold belt. She has black and white high tops now instead of her boots. Next Generation Clarissa wears a similar outfit to the one she did in Eternal faith with minor adjustments. Her star necklace is now in the possession of her son Spencer but it is unknown if he wears it or not. Other Outfits *During the Shamouti Festival Clarissa wears tribal wear, face paint, and a mask on her head. *In Johto during the Ecruteak Festival she wears a light orange Kimono with star designs, sandals, and had her hair is in a pony tail. In Eternal Faith she wore a Lugia themed Kimono at the festival to represent being it's guardian. *In Kalos, Clarissa wore a dress to a formal party. It was orange, her signature color. Relationships Benji Helmstark "Before you, I was so lonely and filled with self-hatred. Now I'm the luckiest father in the world." - Benji to Clarissa Clarissa and Benji have one of the closest relationships. Benji raised her on his own after her mother refused to take care of her, leading to him lying about her being deceased. Benji cares for his daughter's well being, going as far as to give her a different last name to avoid trouble because of his past. He is proud of her and her accomplishments. Leslie Cane "You're a great person and the fact that your mother gave you up just shows how shallow and unworthy of your time she is." - Mason to Clarissa about her mother Unlike Clarissa and her father, Leslie and Clarissa have a very strained relationship. She refused to raise her daughter, fearing it was ruin her picture perfect marriage, and abandoned her. Charizard Clarissa and Charizard have a very close bond, one stronger than her and Benji. Katrina Brooks "Yeah sure, you're a bit unstable Clar, but everyone has their own demons!" - Katrina when Clarissa begins to doubt her ability to control her aura Katrina is no doubt one of Clarissa's closest friends, tied only with Mason. Katrina is also the first person to refer to Clarissa as "Clar". Mason Artemis "I still do not understand how I ended up with you two, but I think my life is getting to a point where I have to stop questioning these things." Mason is another one of Clarissa's closest friends. The two are fairly calm compared to their egotistical companion Katrina but put up with her antics. He also refers to Clarissa as "Clar". The two also love to watch reality tv together. Jax Darksoul "Yeah I may have hated your guts for awhile, but I think you're neat Jax." - Clarissa to Jax in Sparks: Diamond & Pearl Jax and Clarissa have complex relationship. At first the two were bitter rivals but eventually came around to a friendly rivalry. Clarissa also had notable feeling for Jax when they were younger, but being as romantic as a brick she repressed them. Jax is the third person to refer to Clarissa as "Clar". Clarissa care immensley for Jax and his feelings. This was shown when Jax came to Shamouti Island and was tackled by Clarissa in a hug. Although they have stopped their hostile rivalry, the two now have a friendly one and a mutual respect. Jax and Clarissa later began to date, eventually married, and had three children. It is shown that even though Clarissa trusts Mason and Katrina with anything, she seems to confide in Jax more. While this annoyed Katrina, she understood it was mostly because she and Clarissa were like sisters and needed someone else to talk to. This was shown when after almost 4 years of refusing to talk about it, Clarissa told Jax about her time as Team Galactic's prisoner. Jax made it clear to Clarissa that they could never hurt her again, especially if he was there. In Sparks: XYZ, when Jax was informed about Clarissa's old crush on him, he was shocked. He later began to realize that Clarissa was important to him after she was petrified and start to slowly form feelings for the girl. In Sun & Moon Clarissa's feelings for Jax resurfaced. In the Next Generation, she is married to Jax and has changed her last name to Darksoul. Lisia "I get what you mean about being lonely, but you don't have to worry about it anymore." While the two were shown to be at odds at first, Lisia is very fond of Clarissa, calling her "the sister I never had". This is due to Lisia growing up alone and believed that she was doomed to be alone. While she kept a smile on the outside, Lisia was depressed until she met Clarissa. After being inspired by her origins and how far she has come, Lisia became determined to be strong like her friend is. Clarissa later gave Lisia her Hoenn Pokédex after her's broke from when she and Rayquaza destroyed the meteor heading for Hoenn. AZ Unlike Katrina and Mason, Clarissa feels sorry for AZ. While her friend's found his actions terrible, Clarissa equally does but tells him she would have done the same if it was her Charizard. Jane Mitchell "I can't just be brave like you Jane, I'm terrified of who or what I'll become with this power!" Clarissa looks up to Jane after she saved her from harming her friends. Jane soon assisted Clarissa in controlling her Aura once more with the help of the other Aura Guardians of Sinnoh. It is shown that Clarissa can be very nervous around Jane, finding her a bit intimidating due to her record in battling. Never less Clarissa thinks highly of Jane. It was reveal that Jane know Clarissa as a baby. Dana Mitchell TBA Victoria Mitchell Clarissa is the mentor of Victoria Mitchell in Pokémon Training. The two met in Sparks: Diamond & Pearl where Victoria and Riolu were struggling getting the Coal Badge. This reminded Clarissa a lot of her first gym battle with Brock and how she couldn't earn it on her first try. She showed Victoria and Riolu to use Fighting-Type moves and dodging the falling rocks. After this Victoria successfully obtained the Coal Badge. Clarissa later discovered that Victoria is Jane's younger sister. Damien Darksoul "You're a jerk! You come here, insults Jax and calls me stupid? I'll have you know I recently learned how to read Damien!" - Clarissa to Damien in Sparks: Black & White Clarissa is shown to dislike Damien mostly due to how he treats Jax. Damien also reminds Clarissa a lot of her half brother, excelling in many things and feeling as if she could never measure up to him. In Sparks: Black & White she battles him, having Benji send her five of her strongest Pokémon. During the battle she used Charizard, Lucario, Togekiss, Ampharos, Lapras, and Torterra. Clarissa was insulted that he wouldn't even use his Charizard against her. She ultimately lost the battle. Clarissa also finds Lisia's description of Damien odd but does appreciate the fact that he takes care of her. Della Keeton TBA Lillie TBA Abilities Clarissa is an incomplete Aura Guardian but is able to still use some of the abilities. Legendary Guardian Clarissa, Katrina, and Mason becomes apart of the prophecy of the Legendary Guardians. Clarissa is shown to have a variety of Legendaries under her care that live in the wild and rarely uses them (though there are some exceptions). The only reason she has captured them in to avoid the problem of Villainous Teams trying to capture them. Pokémon On Hand At Benji's Reserve Released Pokémon that Clarissa has released back into the wild. In Training Pokémon that Clarissa still owns but are in the care of another Trainer. They can be called upon at any time. Taking Care Of Clarissa takes care of these Pokémon however they do not belong to her. Returned Clarissa used the Pokémon over a span of time and they have been returned to their original trainer. Status Unknown Pokémon that are Clarissa's but their current location is unknown. As a Legendary Guardian These Pokemon can be called upon if needed. One of the reasons Clarissa captured them is because she holds the role of being a Legendary Guardian. A Legendary Guardian is someone who makes sure the Pokemon aren't disturbed by Evil Organizations or other issues. Borrowed Achievements Badges Kanto Badges *Pewter Badge (The First Step to The League) *Cascade Badge (The Cerulean Way) *Thunder Badge (Bolt In The Veins) *Rainbow Badge (Gamble with The Grass) *Soul Badge (Rising Up Again) *Marsh Badge (A Change of Pace) *Volcano Badge (A Generation Battle) *Earth Badge (Bonds or Tools) Orange Archipelago Badges *Coral-Eye Badge () *Sea Ruby Badge (Racing For The Badge) *Spike Shell Badge (Simply Spectacular) *Jade Star Badge (Double Jade Special) Johto Badges *Zephyr Badge (Flying Through The Battle) *Hive Badge (Go To The Mind) *Plain Badge () *Fog Badge () *Storm Badge (Unleash The Light!) *Mineral Badge (Power of Trust) *Glacier Badge (Frozen Rage) *Rising Badge (Master Battles) Hoenn Badges *Stone Badge (Stealing The Show With Treecko) *Knuckles Badge (Passion For Battle) *Dynamo Badge () *Heat Badge (In The Heat of Battle) *Balance Badge () *Feather Badge () *Mind Badge () *Rain Badge () Sinnoh Badges *Coal Badge () *Forest Badge () *Cobble Badge () *Fen Badge () *Relic Badge () *Mine Badge () *Icicle Badge () *Beacon Badge (Electrifying The Spark) Unova Badges *Trio Badge () *Basic Badge () *Insect Badge () *Bolt Badge () *Quake Badge () *Jet Badge () *Freeze Badge () *Legend Badge (The Ideals of Strength) Kalos Badges *Bug Badge (Starting Off Strong) *Cliff Badge (The Rocky Battle) *Rumble Badge (The Aura of Lucario) *Plant Badge (Tea Time) *Voltage Badge (Lumiose Stand) *Fairy Badge (The Little Dragon Who Could) *Psychic Badge (Set Your Mind To It) *Iceberg Badge (Cold Front) Alola Trials *Verdant Cavern trial (; received the Normalium Z) *Melemele Island grand trial (The Grand Standing!; received the Fightium Z) *Brooklet Hill trial (; received the Waterium Z) *Wela Volcano Park trial (Wela I Outta Try; received the Firium Z) *Lush Jungle trial (; received the Grassium Z) *Akala Island grand trial (; received the Rockium Z) *Hokulani Observatory trial (TBA; received the Electrium Z) *Thrifty Megamart trial (; received the Ghostium Z) *Ula'ula Island grand trial (; received the Darkium Z) *Poni Island grand trial (Through The Mud We Go; received the Groundium Z) *Vast Poni Canyon trial (; received the Dragonium Z) Frontier Symbols *Knowledge Symbol (Knowledge) *Guts Symbol (Guts) *Tactics Symbol (Tactics) *Luck Symbol (Luck) *Spirits Symbol (Spirits II) *Ability Symbol (Ability) *Brave Symbol (Brave II) League Ranking *Indigo Plateau Conference - Top 32 (The Heartbreaking Truth) *Silver Conference - Top 16 (Blazing Through The Battle) *Ever Grande Conference - Top 16 () *Lily of the Valley Conference - Top 8 (Shoot For The Sparks) *Vertress Conference - Top 8 () *Lumiose Conference - Top 8 () *Lanakila Conference - Top 8 () Championship Matches *Orange League - Champion (A True Battle) Competitions Other Achievements *Viridian City Gym Leader Test (Prior to Return of The Spark) Trivia *Clarissa is the oldest of The Sparks and the shortest *It is revealed in Sparks: Diamond and Pearl that she shows an interest in fossil Pokémon, hinting she has a good amount of knowledge in the field as she helped bring one to life *Clarissa's favorite bird is the Owl *Clarissa and Giovanni can be seen as polar opposites because of their conflicting ideals, personalities, and view on life. Known Aliases/Nicknames *Clar (common nickname) *Sparky (only by Jax) *The Master (Taunt by Giovanni) *Smol *Eyebrows *Thicc Brows *ClarZard (or Hoshidon) Gallery Clarissa Original Design.png|Clarissa's Original Design Ash_Kanto_Badges.png|Clarissa's Kanto Badges Ash_Orange_League_Badges.png|Clarissa's Orange League Badges Ash_Johto_Badges.png|Clarissa's Johto Badges Ash_Hoenn_Badges.png|Clarissa's Hoenn Badges Ash_Sinnoh_Badges.png|Clarissa's Sinnoh Badges Cameron_Badges.png|Clarissa's Unova Badges Ash_Kalos_Badges.png|Clarissa's Kalos Badges Ash_Symbols.png|Clarissa's Frontier Symbols The Spark of a Rivalry.jpg|A younger Clarissa and her rivalry with Jax Darksoul in Johto See Also *The Sparks *Carter Spark *Clarissa Spark (Manga) *Clarissa Spark (Lost Worlds) *Clarissa Spark/Game *Clarissa Spark/Quotes *Traveling Companions In Sparks